Indiana University, American Library Association

Student Chapter

General meeting, April 29, 2008

3pm, L001

Attendance:

President: Stacey Costabile

Vice President: Virginia Vought (not present)

Activities Chair: Sarah Morrison

Secretary: Rebekah Kati

Treasurer: Janet Anderson

Webmaster: Eyad Makki (not Present)

Advisors: Mary Popp

            Tom Nisonger (not present)

Officer Reports:

• End of the Year party at Yogis
  • May 1, 2008, 5:30pm
• online marketing webinar
  • May 8, 2008
  • 2-3:30pm in room E174
  • Focused on public libraries
  • Will also be the May General Meeting

Guest speakers - “Please Interrupt Me: Tales From the Reference Desk”

• Steve Backs – Monroe County Public Library, head of adult and teen services
  • Started in academic libraries at North Carolina State University
    • Learned very quickly how to deal with questions that come out of nowhere
    • Librarians need to be able to be fluent in all types of information
    • Knowledge is cumulative
  • Reference librarians need to be interested in chasing information
  • Differences between libraries in the past and libraries now
    • Information that used to be mailed or handed to people is now online
    • Public libraries are now the go to place for these documents
  • Changing role of libraries
    • Students want more features than just database access on their public library computers
    • People who are not the traditional user base are using the computers and coming into the library
    • Computers are not just information tools
    • Print collection is shrinking
    • Affects how librarians interact with people
      • less reference questions but more of other types of questions (i.e. directional questions)
      • focus on customer service
    • Need to manage the public more as a public librarian
      • Academic library patrons are affiliated with the university and are subject to academic library rules
      • Have different populations and audience
  • Public libraries now have the opportunity to focus on local community resources
    • Digitization projects, readers advisory etc.
  • Useful skills for reference librarians
    • go wait tables or get a job that allows you to be pulled in different directions at once, but still maintain sunny disposition
    • recognize that library should be set up in such a way that it works for everyone
    • Accept that finding things is a skill that you can learn
    • Pick your job well – look at community that you’re going to serve
    • Need to treat your co workers well, find a place that you fit in and where you like the work
    • Try to see if the staff seems happy, if stacks are messy or neat
  • Using Google is OK, because librarians can pick out the information that you need very quickly
  • Best part – get to read fiction as part of job
  • Library could do more to market its self, but some people aren’t library users and will never think to go to the library for the information
    • Difficult to market reference services, but can market to certain demographics
    • Academic libraries do well when they work with faculty

• Emily Okada-Information Commons, Indiana University
  • Had no experience in a library when she started
    • Become good at improvising
  • reference questions are not being asked as much as directional questions
    • many reference questions are being asked at the reference desk in the East Tower, rather than at the IC
  • Librarians feel that they need to have desk time to do other duties (buying books, etc)
  • Library users are going to be there because they have not be, not because they want to be
  • Differences between libraries in the past and libraries now
    • Used books for reference
    • Read a lot of newspapers and magazines as a job requirement
    • Everyone had to read collection development tools
    • Now: reference is more of a process, not so much about the tools
    • Now: expectations of patrons have changed – need to be able to give them an answer right away
  • Basics of being a reference librarian
    • Communication
    • reference interview
    • listening real closely
    • Reference is not a test or a competition
  • Characteristics of good reference librarians
    • focused on the patron
    • look at problems from a different perspective
    • Can recognize that information is everywhere, not just in books
    • Can realize that everything is interesting
    • Need to tell people that they can come back if they don’t get what they need
    • Need to identify what information patrons need and how to give it to them
    • Need to give yourself a chance
    • be aware of the surroundings and the community
    • Be respectful of your co workers and be aware of the politics of your workplace
    • Be involved in things, keep your options open
    • Keep reading the professional literature
  • Library does some marketing, but it is difficult to market
    • Goal is to make the library seem like a welcoming place

• Lisa Raymond-Walden University (online reference)
  • Background on Walden:
    • Full accredited online university that offers PhD & Masters degrees
    • Fields of study – education, public policy, nursing, management, social work        
    • 31,000 students
    • Mostly non traditional students – 40, female, full time job, taking classes at night
  • Walden Library Reference Service:
    • Do normal reference stuff
      • 40% finding full text articles
      • 35% research questions, usually for a dissertation
    • 89% of questions are email, 11% are phone
    • Lots of library instruction
  • Do a lot of hand holding because students aren’t familiar with computers
    • Library is one place at university where people can come to get help without feeling overwhelmed
    • Give patrons what they need as quickly as possible
  • Customer service is very important – can teach everyone how to do reference, but librarians need to be able to deal with the public
    • Try to put themselves in your students shoes – they’re new, it’s not because they’re stupid
    • Librarians don’t always know what people need for their papers – send them something to get them started and usually that will help
  • Differences – reference interview not as emphasized, since it is over email and student questions are very vague
    • Need to think of most important aspects because students won’t read a long email
    • May take a long time to figure out what the students need
    • Librarians need to be able to write really clear instructions, that won’t insult people who know what they’re doing
  • Library could do more to market themselves
    • Goal is to see why people don’t use the library
  • flexibility of mind is very important
    • Librarians need to be able to look at a search from many different angles